THE (DES)CONCEPTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN BRAZIL

A DISCUSSION ON POPULAR PERCEPTION

Abstract

This article aims to present the meaning of human rights and the process of (de)construction of its concept over the years in Brazil. The result of historical conquests and struggles, human rights refer to a set of rights, such as the right to life, liberty, food, work, among others, that underlie a decent existence throughout history. Its implementation in the international order took place at the end of World War II, with the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), in 1948, by the United Nations (UN). The declaration advocates the defense of the rights belonging to every human person, regardless of nationality, race, sex, religion, or any other characteristic. In Brazil, human rights are contained in the Federal Constitution of 1988 as “fundamental rights”, which correspond to those referring to rights recognized and affirmed by the State. However, since the Brazilian democratization, in the 1980s, the meaning of human rights has been worked through a process of misinformation and misleading distortion, to instill in society, the idea that human rights are "the right of bandits”, or other pejorative forms of denomination, which is in no way consistent with its real meaning. In methodological terms, this article corresponds to a review study, categorized as qualitative (in terms of nature), descriptive (in terms of objective) and bibliographical (in terms of object) research.